Top Al-Qaida Bomb Maker in Yemen Resurfaces
When a drone strike killed one of the leaders of al-Qaida’s affiliate in Yemen last year, U.S. intelligence officials thought they also had wiped out the terrorist group’s top bomb maker.
Soon it became apparent that Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, the brains behind sophisticated bombs that have been used in attempts to attack the U.S., was still alive. A hunted al-Asiri went underground, knowing the U.S. was after him, particularly after the U.S. killed Anwar al-Awlaki, one of the Yemen group’s top leaders.
But U.S. counterterrorism officials say he has resurfaced. They worry he might be at work doing what he does best: building bombs that could defeat airline security, The Associated Press has learned.
While the intelligence community sees no credible or specific threat related to the one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death, counterterrorism officials remain anxious about the Yemen group plotting attacks and aren’t taking any chances.